The LEGO Movie Playsets for 2014

I guess the pictures surfaced much earlier than before but two days ago, we just saw that some of the sets comes in two different mode. The good news is that those set have the same width with the City vehicle, in other words, that means that they fit into the road plate.

From top left:

#70800 Getaway Glider, #70801 Melting Room, #70802 Bad Cop's Pursuit

#70803 Cloud Cuckoo Palace, #70804 Ice Cream Machine, #70805 Trash Chomper

#70806 Castle Cavalry, #70807 MetalBeard's Duel, #70808 Super Cycle Chase

#70809 Lord Business' Evil Lair, #70811 The Flying Flusher, #70812 Creative Ambush

#70813 Rescue Reinforcements, #71004 LEGO® Minifigures - The LEGO Movie Series

Most of set looks rather weird and most of them does not looks that attractive to me. But hey, for those set that have two mode, they probably sells well since the City is in need of them with exception of garbage truck since we it released in City theme already. They do looks too big to fit into the City at the same time because usually only large city vehicle comes with 6 stud width.

It also seems like most of the sets comes with a good amount of parts and LEGO is generous enough to price them at a very good price if I were to compare with other them which have much lesser piece count. Parts scavenger gonna love them. With that many parts given, I think is a very good set to buy for the parts, and more stuff can be created. My opinion, very suitable for kids to do MOC and sharpening their creativity.

Looking at The LEGO Movie collectable minifigures, I think is better if we can hae a box of 30 instead of 60 since they are all static character which u do not need to repeat. The Panda is attractive, hope they give more Panda and Drones. But again kids are more into main character rather than side character. Who is the common and who is the rare, will be the question we are looking forward to.

Not sure how these sets are going to be priced here in Malaysia, but looking at the pricing in the States, they looks very attractive. If price remains the same, most of the set are going for RM150, that is the price I get if I direct convert after compare with the set from City theme. But who knows, since LEGO taking over the distribution, price might be a bit lower? Just my thought.

Am currently targeting a few of them, but they will not be my priority.

Images from LEGO website.

LEGO Ninjago 2014

I think this is no longer any new news since this was the very first 2014 theme that was exposed (or so I think) to the public. Ninjago one of the most successful theme for LEGO and taking a break for one year by replacing them with Legends of Chima seems to be a very bad idea.

Kids still love Ninjago here on my end and Legends of Chima seems to be pretty cold here, not much sellable and this is why the theme are on sales right now. There goes all the budget that were allocated for Legends of Chima. Below pictures are taken from Brickshelf.

From top left:

#70720 Hover Hunter, #70721 Kai Fighter, #70722 Overborg Attack

#70723 Thunder Raider, #70724 Ninjacopter, #70725 Nindroid MechDragon
#70726 Destructoid

Fans of Ninjago sure are happy to see the theme making a come back after one year of rest. From what I see there are more character to be collected and although most of the Nindroid are pretty much repeated, but they looks cool and I definitely do not want to missed any of them. 

The playability is still there probably this are what the kids are their target market. As of design, some of the set pretty much depends on the character to sell them off (kids like some stuff base on the character in the movie) while some of them are nicely design.

Personally I am targeting  this 4 sets: #70722 Overborg Attack, #70723 Thunder Raider, #70724 Ninjacopter, #70725 Nindroid MechDragon (for the buggy). I like the design of these for sets. Pray hard for my wallet to be real healthy that time. 

Images from Brickshelf.

Bangsar Village II Malaysia LEGO Sales and Exhibition

LEGO sales and exhibition started yesterday at BV II. Yes, and it looks like is TRU that is running the sales looking at the pictures someone posted on Facebook. Not sure if you are going to get the Christmas bonus voucher though. Anyway, below are the images I have taken from Lowyat.

Sorry guys, I'm nowhere near there, so this is best thing I think people are looking forward for, the price list of the sets on sales. As usual, hot items are all done in day one, maybe not even half day. Again, please be advise to watch your spending, anything 50% is a real temptation.

Good luck hunting.

Images from Lowyat.

LEGO Star Wars 2014

This is definitely to my interest, but the sad news is that I have not completed year 2013 LEGO Star Wars playset collection. As of year 2014, the playset are mostly focus on prequel trilogy (PT) and Clone Wars (CW). As such pure Original Trilogy (OT) fans might save a lot money.

Microfighters

If you ever like Chibi version of LEGO Star Wars machines, you might grab them, the name just not that suitable, it was not something like two opponent can use to compete with each others in some sort of game like Speedorz or Spinners. The only reason to buy are for the new minifigs, which most of these microfighters carries.

From top left: #75028 Clone Turbo Tank, #75029 AAT, #75030 Millennium Falcon, #75031 TIE Interceptor, #75032 X-Wing Fighter, #75033 Star Destroyer.

Battle Packs

Finally, they have started to focus on some battle scene in Episode III like Kashyyyk. Episode III playset was released in year 2005 and since then we hardly get any of them, maybe in a different version, like CW version. Next year battle pack is great as there is no longer two faction in one playset. Is easier to build army now and yes, more variety of Clone Troopers to collect. 

From left: #75034 Death Star Troopers, #75035Kashyyyk Troopers , #75036 Utapau Troopers

Only one battle pack are of OT, #75034 Death Star Troopers, but too bad they give Imperial Guard instead of Storm Troopers which makes Storm Trooper a very valuable minifigs at this point of time. Is cool to see new comers like Utapau Troopers and Kashyyyk Troopers. 

Well here's the picture of the leftover playset which I think most of them looks interesting to me.

From top left:

#75037 Battle on Saleucami, #75038 Jedi Interceptor, #75039 V-Wing Starfighter

#75040 General Grievous’ Wheel Bike, #75041 Vulture Droid, #75042 Droid Gunship

#75043 AT-AP, #75044 Droid Tri-Fighter, #75045 Republic AV-7 Anti-Vehicle Cannon

#75046 Coruscant Police Gunship

What not to be missed? I suppose they are: #75040 General Grievous’ Wheel Bike, #75043 AT-AP, and #75045 Republic AV-7 Anti-Vehicle Cannon. Would have gotten all the set with some extras if I have the funds. Every sets looks great to me, but reality is harsh and we can only picks those that we really like first. Let's see how's the pricing will be here in the local since LEGO is taking back distribution right from ALJ.

Images from bol.com and via Brickset.

More DK LEGO Books in 2014

Not sure is a good or bad news, but there are more book coming from DK next year and below are the list that interest me, but still depends on my pocket. Below are the images I extracted from Brickset's Flickr gallery:

LEGO Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary

LEGO Legends of Chima: The Secret History

LEGO Friends Characters Encyclopedia

I just got my first version (2009) of  LEGO Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary this year with a 25% off from Popular bookstore which make is about RM75 and now here's a peek of version two. The exclusive minifigs is still an unknown and that is what we are looking forward to. I believe there is much to be updated in this second version looking at the numbers of set that has been released between year 2009 and 2014.

LEGO Legends of Chima: The Secret History and LEGO Friends Characters Encyclopedia seems to be new. Again, fans might want them.

I would say good news as this books are heavily visual guided and is definitely a good book to start instill reading habits into kids, especially those kids that are into LEGO. With all those nice images kids will be more interested to read the book and it helps in their english language (especially the locals). While the bad news is that they might ended up asking for the playset or the minifigs itself. For AFOL is never a good news, since you have to dig out more money from your wallet which makes you poorer. Ah, and of course the exclusive minifigs that you cannot escape from. ;) 

Images from Brickset.

Current Malaysia LEGO Market. . . .

Year 2013 is coming to an end, and compare to the previous year, this year we have a lot of LEGO sales or discount around. It all started in Empire Mall, right in front of Toys'R'Us (TRU) and next Avenue K, and I suppose the last stop will be at Bangsar Village II (BV2) where yearly LEGO exhibition is held together with some set put on sales.

LEGOland Malaysia (LLM) is open and I believe a lot of stock have been imported to support the shops in LLM. In LLM we have Monster Fighters playset going for 20% discount and not long after it became 40% , so do the Lone Ranger theme while the polybag is only RM5 per pack (that was a month ago). Now we have some polybag that are still maintain at RM10 per pack which we have a variety of range to choose from, usually those that are given away as freebies during promotion and some like seasonal polybag which I think is a good deal. Great deal isn't it?

Soon after that on 1st of Nov (correct me if I'm wrong) Empire Mall too run a sales, that was carried out by ALJ (our local distributor, which many fans hated them) with TRU. There we have Ninjago, City, DC Super Heroes and Lone Ranger theme, oh and not to forget Hero Factory.  The discount is ranging from 30% to 35% and to make the deals better, cash vouchers were given starting on 5th November and at the same time 30% off  selected Technic, Creator, Ninjago, Legends of Chima, DC Super Heroes Man of Steel and City playset. Unfortunately, I was a victim of this bonus giveaway and planning to sell off the cash vouchers I have earn at a lower price and take it as additional discount for the set I have purchased. This is the only good time to get playset from TRU since they have 30% off, cash vouchers to give away and points collection which gain u another RM10 cash voucher with every 250 points collected. 

For those that bought on 1st November at Empire Mall to 4th November somehow felt a little angry but hey, look at the brighter side, you get a lot choice to choose from compare to the one after. 

After that Avenue-K have some LEGO sales too which they said is the same stock with the Empire Mall, presumably is from ALJ. No more TRU points and voucher, so people are not so into it. Not much updates I get from there either.

Next event I assume will be BV2, so you guys might wanna check there out yourself.

The sales do not end just here, online business are affected as well. Resellers (those mainly on Facebook) are affected by this sales that are currently running. So most of them are slashing their prices as well, making ways for fresh new 2014 stocks. I'm a reseller too, and hell yes, I'm affected. Everything is going real slow in the resellers market unless you have a super value pricing, in other word dirt cheap. Ever since the Shell Ferrari promo, the resellers growing like mushroom after rain. It has become a very competitive market for both playset and minifigs (thanks to the fake minifigures that are made in China). 

You can even find deals on Groupon by ALJ, and yup is definitely the same stock as you see in Empire Mall. There are also sales that are too good to be true, especially on Marvel and DC Super Heroes minifigures. Please be aware that there are currently many fake minifigures out there and some of them are really near perfect to the original LEGO. You can find them on sites like MyDeals. So do be more careful while searching for deals and not fall into the trap of those unethical sellers.

What are the set that worth grabbing?
Go for City, Legends of Chima and Lone Ranger (if still on sales). City and Legends of Chima playset are more or less the same like you buy from overseas, namely United States. I don't really look into Lone Ranger, but Stagecoach Escape is definitely a no go with the inflated price, but the train is good. Many hunting it for the sake of the DeLorean Time Machine.

Like to check worth buying or not? 
Drop by Brickset to see the pricing of a playset in the United States.

It clearly shows that currently is Buyers Market for LEGO where they can choose from many other sellers to get the best deal out from the seller.

Guess that is all for now, happy spending! 

LEGO Creator #10243 Parisian Restaurant Review

New year coming so do the new modular house. Here's a review on next year modular house by dj2005 in Eurobricks and below picture is taken from the review:

#10243 Parisian Restaurant Review

I have a couple of friends that are waiting for this set to be release and I guess most of them in my contact are waiting for this to be released. I do not own this set yet and I cannot talk much about it but judging from the picture when it was announced, it seems to be smaller but does not means it sucks. Design wise it looks really good and you have both nicely design interior and exterior. Another bonus would be the new scooter which some prefer customs.

For those that have started modular house collection, I guess there is no escape, all it need is just one set and you are done for good (like me). While for those that have not started and are into such great design of building by LEGO, this is the time.

Here's the details of the set (announced in Oct):

#10243 Parisian Restaurant
2,469 pieces.
US $159.99 /  UK 132.99 £

Have an unforgettable evening at the amazing Parisian Restaurant!

It’s very busy in the Parisian Restaurant. As a scooter zips by, inside the waiter rushes between the tables as the nervous young man gets ready to propose with the ring! It’s just as hectic behind the scenes, with the chef busily preparing the food. This beautifully detailed building is the setting for so many stories and is a great addition to the modular building series. The Parisian Restaurant has a fully-stocked, blue and white tiled kitchen with tableware as well as a cozy apartment with pull-down bed, kitchenette and fireplace. On the top floor is the artist’s room with a studio that includes a cast iron heater, easel, paintbrush and two works of art by the aspiring artist. Outside, stairs lead down to the roof terrace lined with hanging lanterns and flowers where the diners eat alfresco-style. This amazing Parisian Restaurant model even includes a facade with croissants, clams and feather details that recapture the feel of Paris. Includes 5 minifigures: chef, waiter, girl and a romantic couple.

• Includes 5 minifigures: chef, waiter, girl and a romantic couple
• Also includes a rat, seagull and 2 clams
• Kitchen features blue and white tiled floor, lots of kitchen units and a variety of utensils
• Second-floor apartment features a pull-down bed, kitchenette and fireplace
• Top floor features an opening roof revealing an artist’s studio with heater, easel, paintbrush, palette and artwork
• Includes lots of food items for the customers including croissants, a pie, 2 cupcakes, 2 grapes, 2 hotdogs, turkey, cheese wedges, milk carton and colored bottles
• Also includes hard-to-find white croissants and bricks in olive green, dark blue and dark red
• Intricate exterior details include facade with croissant detailing, bus stop, sidewalk, scooter and even a dumpster and trash can at the back
• Put up the printed restaurant sign and menu to entice the customers in
• Collect and build an entire town with the LEGO® Modular Buildings collection: 10224 Town Hall and 10232 Palace Cinema!
• Measures over 11” (30cm) high, 9” (25cm) long and 9” (25cm) wide

Release January 2014.

Link to the review is right below the picture.

Image from Eurobricks.

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes #30168 Gun Mounting System Review

I have sure taken a long holiday from blogging thanks to the laziness that hit me after being busy for a few months. I sure have missed a lot of news and here I am again. Below is a picture taken from Brickset with his review on LEGO Marvel Super Heroes #30168 Gun Mounting System.

#30168 Gun Mounting System Review

Personally I think the minifigure is great and since it is quite an important role in the movie, they should just provide it in playset rather than exclusive for the game. Facts are facts and you still only get it from the game. Still for those that have the consoles and are into the game can purchase the game, otherwise I would suggest to buy the minifigs separately.

For locals, the cheapest I manage to source for this minifigure at RM95 (included shipping) while some selling the polybag at RM120. If you do not own any consoles, I guess buying them separately might save you a little money. Is a great minifig, and if you have all the Iron Man, I suppose you are going to get one of this.

Link to the review is right below the picture.

Image from Brickset.